Nyika, I Love You

Aren’t you curious to know what went on behind the walls of this home, or what exactly went on outside them?

“Pretty, tell me what is going on?” Joanna watched anxiously from afar. Pretty drew a small notebook from her handbag. Trembling, she passed it to Joanna’s father. He opened it and turned deathly pale. Ignoring Pretty's floundering and frantic wild gestures, he walked towards Nyika. “Does this notebook belong to you?” he asked.

Nyika, I Love You is a fascinating tale of two young women – one a black maid and the other the daughter of her white employer – who grew up on an immense tract of African bushveld in the South-Eastern Lowveld of Zimbabwe. It is set at a turbulent time in the history of what was then Rhodesia as it transformed to become Zimbabwe. This story is staged on the fabric of a land ripped apart by a civil war that asked many questions, but failed to provide solutions to the social injustices it caused.

Who am I? Who are we? How do we bond? What would you have done? Her or I? Them or us? But, through all of this, the love and friendship between Joanna and Nyika transcends the chaos and divisions that followed in the wake of the civil war. Their lives unfurl across the kaleidoscope of a shifting landscape that moves from Nyika’s tribal village and Joanna’s home, Ngwane Ranch, to a cattle ranch that ultimately evolves into the largest privately owned wildlife conservancy in the world. This ignites Joanna’s passion for the great African outdoors, as she and Nyika witness the growth of the conservancy, while actively participating in the largest translocation of African elephants to date which, over time, helps enhance the conservancy’s global reputation.

The hectic pace of life sweeps along until the day comes when both step back, when their friendship and harmony come under harsh scrutiny. Will Joanna be brave enough to face the facts of their different lifestyles, or just let the years of bonding be swept under the rug? The time has come for Joanna to stand on her own two feet – barefoot or not – and face the dilemmas and contradictions of the inner conflict inherent in a continuously changing environment!